The Bet
by gollden sparrow
Summary: Ever wonder how Nico and Rachel became friends? Believe it or not it involved sword fights and an army of skeletons. One-shot.


**Friends**

She was walking around the side of the Big House when she saw it, a bunch of kids from the Ares cabin picking on what looked to be Nico di Angelo. She'd never spoken to him directly but Percy had told her all about him and what he could do. That's why she was so confused that he was just sitting there, letting them taunt and hit him.

"Hey!" Rachel ran forward, waving her hands, "Get off of him!"

The kids just looked at her for a second before getting up and walking off, "We'll get you tomorrow Di Angelo." Then they were gone.

"Are you alright?" Rachel held a hand out, which he ignored, standing up by himself and brushing some dirt off his clothes.

"I'm fine." There was some blood on his lip and he smoothed it away with his thumb, looked at it, then shrugged, "I'm used to it by now."

"Why don't you fight back?" She was befuddled, _why would someone just let themselves be bullied._ "I mean, you have to have some awesome powers."

"Well yeah. But it's not really fair to them if I fight back." He said it as if he were telling her the weather, like it was pure fact.

"So? It's not fair to _you_ if you let them push you around like that." She threw her hands in the air. Why were all demigods so damn chivalrous? _Then again_, she thought,_ Percy and Annabeth would have no problem kicking their asses._

"True." He looked thoughtful. "I guess you've got a point."

"Yes!" She said, "I do!"

Then she paused, and looked him up and down from his black skull shirt to his black jeans and his black sneakers, she was sweating just looking at him. She thought about bringing this up, but instead she said to the boy, "Listen, next time they mess with you, _mess back._"

BREAKBREAKBREAKBREAK

She had really hoped Nico would listen to her and fight back his time, but she wasn't sure he would. That's why, when she turned the corner around the big house again and saw them taunting him once more she slid back into the shadows. Determined for him to stick up for himself. The sun was gradually falling behind the horizon as they hit him.

One more hit, she decided, one more and then she would interject. Just as Rachel was standing up something surprising happened, the sun slipped down into the grass and Nico shot up, looking healed now that it was dark, "Oh look at him now. All tough now that the suns gone!"

They were taunting him again, and even though the kids were probably twice his size he didn't look scared at all, "You should go back to your cabin." He told them in a flat voice.

"Nah. I think we'll stay here." The first guy turned to the kids behind him, "What do you think guys? Maybe show him our weapons?" he reached down to his side and unsheathed his sword , bringing it up to point at Nico.

"I'll make you a bet." Nico told them, not even flinching as the mass of kids pressed their weapons in on him.

"What type of bet tough guy?"

Nico reached up to scratch his chest lazily before saying, "I bet I could take all you guys without my sword."

"Ha! Have fun with that! We're Are's kids smart one." But he conceded, "What do we get if we win?"

"You get to keep using me as your punching bag. And if I win, then you stay away. Simple." Another one of his shrugs.

Are's kids all looked at one another before nodding, "Sounds good to me." And then he raised his sword once again and screamed, "CHARGE!" All at once they were on Nico, but…he wasn't there. He was standing beside Rachel, giving her a lazy smirk.

"Whoa!" She clutched at her chest, "How did you do that?"

"Shadowtravel." He told her chuckling, "I said no swords, I didn't say my powers."

Rachel just looked at him, wide eyed, before smiling big. Who knew the kid was _smart? _"Nice job, Nico." She praised.

He gave her a salute, "Don't sound so shocked. Now if you'll excuse me. I have a bet to win." She watched him walk leisurely back to the confused Ares kids. They all looked at him, their jaws down as he sat down on the grass, putting his hands on the floor.

She was confused on what he was doing when Percy came up behind her, looking around to see what was going on, "Is that Nico- oh shit what is he doing?"

"Shhh." She wondered why Percy was so flustered when the ground started to shake, and then skeletons were rising from the grass, popping up like daisies. "Eeeek!" She gave a shriek.

One by one the Ares kids were defeated by the skeletons, finally the last guy spoke up, "You're cheating!"

"You never said I couldn't use skeletons!"

Needless to say Nico wasn't bothered by them again.


End file.
